It’s also been a huge year for club music. It’s not surprising that the resurgence of danceable beats goes hand in hand with what seems to be the start of a cultural revolution. When outside forces try to divide and conquer, we have to stick together. And nothing brings us closer together than dancing. Albums like Lady Gaga’s “MAYHEM” and Clipse, Pusha T and Malice’s “Let God Sort Em Out” are stacked with certified nightlife anthems.

It’s safe to say this year’s nominees refused to play it safe. And in the midst of the music industry’s bending boundaries, the Recording Academy also announced a new category for the Grammy Awards 2026. For the first time in the show’s 68-year history, five artists were nominated for Best Album Cover of the Year. The category embraces visual arts as part of the album-making process and celebrates the role cover art plays in an album’s character. It’s a category where both globally-known musicians and indie musicians can sit together— perhaps in two white plastic chairs on some grass in Puerto Rico (as seen on the cover of Bad Bunny’s “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS”).

I could go on about this year’s nominees, but they’d probably cue the overhead music and play me out right about now. So without further ado, here are the 2026 Grammy Award nominees who are owning nightlife.